Smoker&#39;s pipe rack



Dec. 16, 1958 J. J. STURE 2,86

SMOKERS PIPE RACK Filed May 25, 1955 IN V EN TOR.

SMOKERS PIPE RACK John J. Sture, New York, N. Y.

Application May 25, 1953, Serial N 0. 357,260

Claims. (Cl. 211-60) The present invention relates to an articlesupporting device adapted to be removably mounted on a container, andmore particularly to a smokers pipe rack arranged to be mounted on thetop of a cylindrical tobacco can, the pipe rack being supported by thetop rim portion of the tobacco can and providing a large centralaperture which permits free removal and replacement of the lid of thetobacco can without disturbing the pipe rack.

Among the objects of the invention is the provision of a rack fortobacco pipes comprising an apertured circular flange member adapted tosupport tobacco pipes or other articles comprising an elongated portionof reduced transverse dimensions.

ed on ihe top of a container or other cylindrical object nite StatesPatent 0 having a removable lid and comprising a collar member 1 forencircling the top peripheral portion of the container and an articlesupporting flange member extending outwardly from the collar member soarranged that there is no interference with removal or replacement ofthe lid.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of an inwardlyextending bead at the upper edge of the collar member, the bead beingadapted to prevent downward movement of the collar portion by engagementwith the top peripheral edge of the cylindrical container.

A further object of the invention is to provide a beaded collar memberfor the article supporting device in which the inner edge of the bead isshaped for vertical alignment with the inner edge of the usual rolledbead at the upper end of a cylindrical sheet metal container. Thisalignment presents a pleasing appearance such that the pipe rack appearsto be an integral part of the tobacco can. Additionally, it avoids thepresence of-an edge on which the lid might become caught during removalor replacement of the lid.

A further object of the invention is the provision of spaced inwardlyextending projections disposed about the bending action thereof, wherebythe collar member may,

adjust itself to accommodate commercial variations in the outsidediameter of the top portion of the cylindrical container as well ascommercial variations in the diameter of the collar member.

Other and further objects will become apparent upon reading thefollowing specification together with the accompanying drawing forming apart hereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure l is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view, partly in section,illustrating one of the inwardly extending projections.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing an article supporting device inaccordance with the invention mounted ported thereby.

Figure 4 is a plan view showing a pipe rack according to the inventionmounted on a tobacco can.

Figure 5 is an elevational view partly broken away, of the pipe rackshown in Fig. 4.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line6-6 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows. v 7

Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown a pipe rack comprising a circularcollar member 11 connected to an integrally formed outwardly extendinghorizontal 'flange member 12. The flange member 12 is formed with an'undulatory periphery 13 providing portions of increased radius or width14. At each of the portions of increased width 14, a circular throughaperture 15 is formed in the flange 12. I

At the upper edge of the collar member 11 there is provided an inwardlyextending bead 16 whose lower edge 17 (Fig. 6) rests on the upper rollededge 18 of a cylindrical sheet metal container 19. The inner edge 20 ofthe bead 16 is in continuous vertical alignment with the inner lateralsurface 21 of the top of container 19. Disposed around the inner surfaceof collar member 11 are inwardly extending projections 22 (Fig. 2) whichmay be somewhat tapered, if desired, so that the amount of inwardprojection thereof is greater at the top of each projection 22 than atits bottom. The projections 22'areshown extending upwardly from aboutthe center of the inner surface of the collar member 11, but thisdistance may be made longer, if desired, so that the inward projections22 extend completely from the lower surface 17 of the bead 16 to thebottom internal edge of the collar member 11.

The cylindrical container 19, illustratively shown as a tobacco can isprovidedwith a downwardly dished removable lid 23 frictionally held inan annular rim 24. In Fig. 6 it will be seen that the bead 16 of collarmember 11 extends inwardly only far enough for continuouscircumferential vertical alignment with the inner lateral cylindricalsurface 21 of annular member 24 so that there is no interference withthe removal or replacement of lid 23. Moreover, with this alignedposition of parts, if the collar member 11 of the device is of the samecolor as the tobacco can 19, the pipe rack appears to be integral withthe tobacco can 19.

In Figs. 3 and 4, the lid 23 of the tobacco can 19 is shown providedwith a conventional peripherally slidable lifting device 25. As may beseen in Fig. 6 there is a sufiicient space between the verticallyaligned inner edge 20 of bead 16 and the lifting device 25 so that thereis no interference with the normal operation of the lifting device 25.

. Because of the usual commercial variations in the outside diameter ofthe tobacco can 19 and the dimensions of collar member 11, incertaininstances, there will be i a tendency for the device to fit either tooloosely ortoo tightly on the top of the can 19. In order to overcomethis situation, the inwardly extending projections 22 are provided.These projections are dimensioned to provide a slight amount offrictional engagement with the smallest diameter of tobacco can and thelargest diameter of the pipe rack. For the opposite condition, namely,the largest diameter of tobacco can and the smallest diameter pipe rack,the projections 22 bear against the edge of the can and allow the collarmember 11 to bend inwardly to a limited extent between adjacentprojections 22. This resilient action, although limited in extent, isnevertheless suflicient to accommodate commercial dimensionalvariations, particularly since it is contemplated that the pipe rack isto be manufactured of moulded plastic material and the tobacco can bymodern automatic machinery. As a result of these conventional modernmethods of manufacture, the dimensional variations will be relativelysmall so that they may be accommodated by a slight inward bendingbetween the inwardly directed projections 22.

It should be noted that undulatory shape of the periphery 13 of flangemember 12 provides a reduced crosssectional moment of inertia about acentral vertical axis for transverse areas intermediate the widerportion 14, thereby facilitating the inward bending action referred toabove.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure 'by Letters Patent is the invention as defined in the appendedclaims.

.I claim:

1. Article supporting means of the class described for ,use with acylindrical container having a vertical axis and a removable top lid,the outer edge of said lid being spaced inwardly from the top peripheralportion of said container, said article supporting means comprising: acontinuous annular collar portion which is adapted to encircle andsurround the top portion of said container exteriorly thereof, saidcollar portion being vertically removable with respect to said containerfor removing said article supporting means fromsaid container andreplacing the same at will; a continuous annular head portion extendingradially inwardly from the inner side of said collar portion, said beadportion having a bottom edge disposed above the bottom of said collarportion and engageable with the top peripheral portion of said containerfor limiting downward movement of said collar portion with respect tosaid container, said head portion being spaced outwardlyfrom said outeredge of said lid to provide clearance for the free removal andreplacement of said lid; and an article supporting flange portionextending outwardly from said collar portion, said flange portion beingintegrally formed with said collar portion and having circular aperturesformed therein for receiving depending portions of articles to besupported by said article supporting means.

2. Article supporting means according to claim 1, in which said flangeportion is disposed below said bottom edge of said bead portion toprovide clearance for freedom of generally horizontal components ofmovement of said lid while removing and-replacing the same.

3. Article supporting means of the class described for use with acylindrical container having a vertical axis and a removable top lidfitted in a horizontally inwardly extending annular rim disposed belowthe top edge of said container, said rim being connected to the top edgeof said container by a continuous rolled edge, said article supportingmeans comprising: a continuous annular cylindrical collar portionadapted to encircle and surround the top of said containerconcentrically therewith, said collar portion beingvertically slidablewith respect to said container for removing and replacing said articlesupporting means at will; an annular bead portion formed integrally withsaid collar portion and extending inwardly from the top thereof, saidbead portion having a continuous bottom edge adapted for engagement withthe top of said rolled edge for limiting downward movement of saidarticle supporting means with respect to said container, said beadportion extending inwardly with its inner lateral surface in alignmentwith the inner lateral surface of said rolled edge when said articlesupporting means is positioned on said container; and an articlesupporting flange portion extending outwardly from said collar portionbelow said bottom edge of said bead portion, said flange portion havingapertures formed therein for receiving depending portions of articles tobe supported by said article supporting means.

4. Article supporting means ofthe class described, for use with acylindrical container having a vertical axis and a removable top lidfitted in a horizontally inwardly extending annular rim disposed belowthe top edge of said container, said rim being connected to the top edgeof said container by a continuous rolled edge, said article supportingmeans comprising: a continuous annular cylindrical collar portionadapted to encircle and surround the top of said containerconcentrically therewith, said collar portion being vertically slidablewith respect to said container for removing and replacing said articlesupporting means at will; an annular bead portion formed integrally withsaid collar portion and extending inwardly from the top thereof, saidbead portion having a continuous bottom edge adapted for engagement withthe top of said rolled edge for limiting downward movement of saidarticle supporting means with respect to said container, said beadportion extending inwardly to an extent suflicient for alignment of itsinner lateral surface with the inner lateral surface of said rollededge; downwardly tapering inwardly directed projections regularly spacedaround the inner surface of said collar portion below said bottom edgeof said bead portion for frictional engagement with the outer surface ofsaid rolled edge; and an article supporting flange portion extendingoutwardly from said collar portion below said bottom edge of said beadportion, said flange portion having apertures formed therein forreceiving depending portions of articles to be supported by said articlesupporting means.

5. Article supporting means according to claim 4, wherein said flangeportion is annular and has an undulatory generally circular externalperiphery, said apertures being circular and being formed in thoseportions of said flange portion which are of increased width caused bysaid undulatory configuration, the portions of reduced widthfacilitating flexure of said flange portion accompanying said frictionalengagement of said inwardly directed tapering projections with saidrolled edge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS700,653 Jobson May 20, 1902 1,903,410 Cecil Apr. 4, 1933 2,035,639 DavisMar. 31, 1936 2,056,943 Lehman Oct. 13, 1936 2,533,354 Comfort Dec. 12,1950 2,544,095 Kower Mar. 6, 1951 2,615,578 Mankki Oct. 28, 19522,713,872 Juengling July 26, 1955

